Beginning of Synod on New Evangelization

Over the years, I have often repeated the summons to the new evangelization. I do so again now, especially in order to insist that we must rekindle in ourselves the impetus of the beginnings and allow ourselves to be filled with the ardor of the apostolic preaching which followed Pentecost. We must revive in ourselves the burning conviction of Paul, who cried out: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16).

-Blessed John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 2001

The summons to the new evangelization is finally here! Today the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will begin their council on “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.”

Let us ask Our Father to send His Holy Spirit down upon our Church as she discerns better ways to propose the Good News to the world, through the intercession of St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen who will be proclaimed Universal Doctors of the Church today, and through the intercession of Blessed John Paul II and Mary, Star of the New Evangelization.

There's no formula for the New Evangelization

Last Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI urged Christians to be steadfast in their faith and to actively participate in the New Evangelization. During morning Mass in Tuscany, he said:

Be ferment in society, be present as Christians, be active and coherent…The whole Church is sent out into the world to preach the Gospel and salvation.

Preaching the Gospel is our responsibility. The New Evangelization calls upon the whole Church to bring Christ to the world. It is a re-evangelization of sorts, in which Christians are first invited to re-discover their identity in Christ and then share this unique experience with the people around them. This is described in the lineamenta prepared for the October Synod for the New Evangelization:

…the Christian must never forego a sense of boldness in proclaiming the Gospel and seeking every positive way to provide avenues for dialogue, where people's deepest expectations and their thirst for God can be discussed.

This is a serious calling, and it can be intimidating. Thoughts of inadequacy creep into many hearts as people wonder who it is they can reach out to and how effective they can be with little knowledge of the faith.

Let us be concerned for each other

In his Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, Blessed John Paul II wrote that the whole life of the Christian community must lead to a “high standard of ordinary Christian living.” He said:

…since Baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic and a shallow religiosity.

We are called to live as saints, Blessed John Paul II would say, and we are called to encourage our brothers and sisters to do the same. “Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI echoes this in his 2012 Message for Lent, which was inspired by a verse in the Letter to the Hebrews:

Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works (Heb  10:24).

During this Lenten time of prayer, sharing, fasting and silence the Holy Father urges us to have concern for others. We should desire what is good for our brothers and sisters—physically, morally, and spiritually. Contemporary culture has lost a sense of what is good and evil, so spiritual poverty is especially important this Lent. He said:

…I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in the view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.